Happy Father's Day!

Here's a photographic trip down memory lane, to a time when the two fathers in my life were at the beginning of their parental journey. As a parent now, I appreciate how rewarding that journey is. Thanks for being the greatest dads and grandpas ever!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Jammin' with Grandma

It's strawberry season! It's a gorgeous day! GM and I picked a bunch of strawberries (two 4 quart baskets full) this morning and the kids helped her mash and stir and pour ... and voila! Jam! Of course since I wasn't directly involved it looked complicated and sticky, but it'll sure be worth it when we're enjoying a PB & J on fresh bread in the morning.

Evolution of a Window

A house doesn't really require trim, not the way a fridge or a toilet is required. But trim is definitely nice and it does finish a room quite well. Our house does not have any trim. Well, just a little bit in the upstairs bathroom (and it looks fantastic!) So P got to work to get me some trim around the front living room window.

Some admirers stopped to compliment and to offer suggestions. Still, P toiled on, oblivious to distractions.

The trim was pre-painted (thanks GT!) in the basement so that it just needed to be measured and cut and nailed in place.

I had mentioned a while ago that I'd like a sill at the bottom, and P remembered! He sanded a chuck of wood up and built a gorgeous sill. It's my job to paint it ... which I haven't done yet.

But meanwhile the window evolution keeps on rolling. S grabbed a screw gun to install the curtain rod. Under close supervision of course.

Once the curtain rod was installed, level and centred, we hung the new drapes! The colour is "mushroom" and surprisingly they look amazing with the colour of the wall.

Et VOILA! Some pictures hung above the blue wash stand and plants artfully arranged and we have a (mostly) finished living room window. I love it.

The Finishing Touch

We have a new-ish garden which is surprisingly weed-free (or weed-reduced) so we quickly added some mulch around the plants and it looks pretty darn good if I say so myself. Thanks to GT and her green thumb(s)! Let's hope it discourages Scooby and any visiting pups (not naming any names, Mr. W ... you know who you are) from lifting a leg on the plants!

The Hanging

The boys' rooms have been painted for ages now and all their furniture is in and being used, but nothing's on the walls: no photos, no shelves, no posters. The reason, primarily, is that the trim isn't done yet so it's difficult to see exactly where these items should be put. The real reason (I've deduced) is that the To-Do list is simply to long. So a few days ago, S pointed out the place and up they went! And ... there's even new outlets and covers. They look FANTASTIC!

CRASH

As much as I love that our kids have motocross bikes and are eager to ride as often as humanly possible, I still hold my breath every time they fly over a jump until I see them safely on the other side. Every so often they crash. That's part of the game, as I understand it. It should be called Motocrash. When they do lose balance and come to an abrupt and violent stop, I always fear the worst. Last fall S damaged his ankle and spent 6 weeks on crutches. This time it was the younger fella. Crashed over his handlebars and landed on his right elbow. Broke the clutch lever right off. Three hours in the ER confirmed that nothing was broken but take a look at that arm. Ye Gads. Blue and yellow and swelling beyond description. A bit of a black eye and bruised belly too. Being a couch potato is safer, there's no doubt.

Happy Bday to ...

Such fun to celebrate a friend's birthday a few days in advance and surprise the beans out of them! He spent a while driving the ATV around the track then enjoying a cold bevvie then a delicious bbq of ribs and assorted delicacies ... followed by a carrot cake with his name on it! Well, his name wasn't actually on it, but the candles gave it away. Happy Birthday!

Scooby's Doo

This morning Scooby went to the hairdresser and got himself a new 'do! He's soft and smells good. Normally his fur is scrubby and smells like grass and dirt. Do you prefer the before or after?

Petunias on the Porch

Just last week the temps dipped below freezing and left a pretty sparkle on the grass but this week is warm and lovely and we've planted some colour in the pots on the porch. They, along with that adorable dog, add some coziness to the place.

Mr. Clean

It's not raining out and it's not particularly muddy. And yet when a certain black dog comes in from doing his biz outside, we wipe his feet ... er, paws ... And yet there are still wee footie prints all over the floors! I need the number of a good cleaning lady.